Benefits and harms of a protein diet
The protein diet for weight loss is gaining more and more supporters every year. What is the reason for such popularity? And most importantly, what are the benefits and harms of a protein diet for our body? We’ll figure it out together.
Protein Paradise
As it is easy to understand from the name, the essence of the protein diet is reduced to increased consumption of various types of protein against the background of almost complete rejection of fats and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates tend to retain water in the body, and in their absence, the excess fluid with all the substances contained in it quickly leaves. Therefore, first of all, weight loss on a protein diet is due to fluid. Next, the body is taken for glycogen-strategic reserves of carbohydrates that accumulate in the liver cells, muscles, etc. In the later stages, it begins to break down fat deposits.
What to eat with a protein diet? First of all, it is white meat with a low fat content: chicken, turkey or veal. In the daily diet, you can add low-fat sea fish, such as salmon or tuna, as well as various seafood. In the dishes of the protein diet, you can safely include low-fat cottage cheese, natural yoghurts, kefir or milk. If you like cheeses, choose varieties with a mass fraction of fat of no more than 25 %, and even better-soy cheese tofu.
The approximate menu of the protein diet is as follows. Scrambled eggs with spinach or cottage cheese casserole for breakfast, omelet, stewed veal or boiled fish with vegetable salad for lunch and turkey with vinaigrette or a portion of cottage cheese for dinner. At the same time, the volume of one serving should not exceed 300 g, and snacks should be arranged between the main meals. More detailed recipes for a protein diet can be found on our website.
At the same time, you should give up red meat (pork, lamb, beef), fried and fatty dishes, flour products and any sweets. Alcohol is also completely excluded from the diet.
Eat, rejoice, lose weight
In general, the menu of the protein diet for weight loss is quite generous variety. This is one of its main advantages — to eat fully, without denying yourself your favorite dishes. First of all, this fact will be appreciated by meat-eaters, because they love products for a protein diet most of all.
In addition, not everyone is ready to eat solid vegetables, fruits and cereals for weeks, washing them down with liters of kefir and at the same time starve. Proteins, on the contrary, quickly saturate the body, and the soothing feeling of satiety persists for a very long time. And this means — no hunger pangs and stress. Moreover, the body spends a lot of energy on the breakdown of protein, and the extra calories are not stored.
The quick, inspiring results of the protein diet are another reason to be happy. As already noted, in the first stages, excess weight literally melts before your eyes, mainly due to fluid. If all the principles are followed, it is quite easy to keep these results in the future. An effective protein diet in the first week allows you to get rid of 4 kg of excess weight.
This food system is perfectly suitable for athletes, as well as those who lead a very mobile lifestyle. After all, a large amount of protein in combination with strength training and intense physical activity can significantly increase the muscle mass of the body.
A time bomb
At the same time, the disadvantages of a protein diet are significant and, if taken lightly, can lead to dangerous consequences. Doctors with one voice declare that this food system is shown only to healthy people. After all, first of all, it gives an increased load on the kidneys. Therefore, if you have a characteristic disease, you should forget about this diet once and for all. It is also contraindicated for those who have chronic colitis, pancreatitis and other problems with the digestive system.
A protein diet for every day is not the best idea. Excessive fascination with it can cause the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels, which sooner or later will lead to a heart attack or stroke. A number of studies have shown that an increased protein content disrupts the acid-base balance. As a result, the oxidative processes in the body increase and many cells die. Women are more likely to be at serious risk from such a diet. Excessive amounts of nitrogen, which is formed during the breakdown of protein, can accumulate in the genital canals. And this, in turn, leads to failures of the fertilization processes.
Since the products of the protein diet exclude fats and carbohydrates, the diet is not sufficiently balanced. For example, prolonged lack of fiber can cause constipation or dysbiosis, and in the long term, bowel cancer. Do not forget that it is animal proteins that increase the level of “harmful” cholesterol in the blood and, as a result, the risk of developing heart disease.
The protein diet really helps to achieve excellent results in the shortest possible time. However, before testing the body for strength, go through a medical examination and ask the experts in detail about the protein diet: what you can eat with this system and whether it will cause irreparable harm to your health.